Page 143 of From Nowhere

I head down the sidewalk. “I will.”

“Dad! Wait!” Lola ditches the scooter in the yard and flies onto her bike to chase after me. “Bye, Kai!”

Maren’s plane arrives Sunday afternoon. Lola insists we make a cake instead of buying one. Given the ninety-degree weather, I agree. Transporting a cake in this heat wouldn’t end well.

So carrot cake with pineapple it is.

“Welcome homeis too long to fit on the cake.” Lola frowns while assessing the round cake as I fill the plastic bag to pipe the message in cream cheese frosting.

“It is if I let you do it.”

“But I want her to know that I did it. So it has to be something I can do.”

I shrug. “Then what do you think it should say?”

Lola cocks her head, eyeing the cake. “Hmm, it should be something nice. Maybe ‘We love you.’ It’s short and sweet.”

“You think it should say that?”

Lola nods a half dozen times. “Yeah. I mean, we love her. Right?”

Here I am, in another pickle.

After a few seconds, I nod and hand her the bag with a small hole in the corner. “You must keep pressure on it the whole time, or you’ll have choppy letters.”

“I know. I’ve done this with Nana on cupcakes.”

“You weren’t trying to spell anything on those cupcakes.”

I don’t know why I’m surprised, but I am, as Lola perfectly writesWe Love Youon the cake.

“Do you think she’ll like everything?” Lola hands me the bag and licks her fingers while gazing at the room.

We have aWelcome Homesign, fresh-picked wildflowers in sets of six, balloons, and a stuffed teddy bear.

“I think she’ll love it,” I say, even if she’s not going to love me so much because I’m a human asshole afraid of fucking up my daughter, my future, and my whole life.

Forty-five minutes later, two vehicles pull into the driveway. Fitz, Jamie, Will, Maren, and her parents climb out and make their way tothe front door. My heart tries to break through my chest, one pounding beat at a time.

Emotions burn my eyes, but I fight like hell to keep my composure. I’m seeing the woman I never thought I’d see again. It’s as emotionally unsettling as it would be if Brynn stepped out of a car in the driveway.

Lola can’t wait. We planned to yell surprise when they entered the door, but she bolts into the yard.

“Lola!” I rush toward the door. I don’t want her tackling Maren with her uncontrolled excitement.

Jamie must have the same thought because she steps in front of Maren and holds up her hands to Lola. “Be very gentle, okay? She has some broken bones.”

Lola nods as Jamie steps aside and lets Lola wrap her arms around Maren, being careful of her sling. Maren runs her hands lovingly through Lola’s hair.

“Fuck,” I mumble, stepping back and hiding behind the door while I wipe my pathetic teary eyes. “Get your shit together.” I give myself a quick pep talk and come out of hiding just as everyone makes their way up the porch stairs.

Maren has scabs on her face and moves slower than usual.

“Look at the swing,” she says.

“It’s so fun! Do you want to sit on it with me?” Lola asks.

“Maybe later,” I say, stepping into view with my brave face. “Lola, let’s let Maren get settled. I’m sure it’s been a long travel day.”

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